Is anyone inciting the military?

Last week, the Director of Defence Information , Maj Gen Chris Olukolade, accused politicians of making remarks capable of inciting troops battling the Boko Haram insurgency to mutiny. He did not expatiate. But he threatened that the authorities could invoke relevant provisions in the State of Emergency Act to bring offenders to book.

Even if it is true that anyone is inciting troops, the job of cautioning or prosecuting offenders should be left to the Minister of Defence to handle. The way he spoke and the content of his speech, however, show that the military rule mindset has not left the officers.

If the military is frustrated about its inability to quell the revolt, so are we. We are even more frustrated and worried, and fear that the military has not found the right mix of strategies and tactics to deal the insurgency an effective blow. Had we not criticised the military in its relationship with civilians in Baga, for instance, the improvement in psychological operations (Psy-Ops) that followed and won the populace over to their side would not have occurred.

The military top brass must appreciate public worries and find ways of reassuring and conciliating them. Threats are counter-productive. The army general should know that threatening or arresting the so-called inciters is like opening another major, needless and unwinnable front in the war against terror. Gen Olukolade should brief the public on the progress of the war and leave the minister the task of winning over the public and muffling criticisms and complaints.